The invention relates to a climbing rock, and more particularly, to an imitation climbing rock that allows children to simulate rock climbing activity.
Using imitation climbing rocks to simulate outdoor rock climbing activity is well known (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,877). Imitation climbing rocks provide rock climbing enthusiasts with the opportunity to simulate outdoor rock climbing activity at an easily accessible location.
The climbing rocks are normally attached to a wall using a single bolt or threaded rod. The climbing rocks are typically made of varying shapes and textures that affect the level of skill required to maneuver on the climbing wall. In particular, climbing rocks that have minimal hand/foot holds are harder to grasp and make the wall harder to negotiate. Another factor affecting the level of skill required to maneuver on the climbing wall is the position of the climbing rocks on the climbing wall. The closer the climbing rocks are positioned relative to one another, the more climbing rocks there are available for grasping by a climber as the climber maneuvers on the climbing wall.
There are climbing walls or structures that are specifically designed for children. One type of children""s climbing wall includes a variety of geometric shapes and openings. The shapes and openings are arranged in a variety of configurations that allow children to maneuver around the climbing wall. This type of climbing wall provides little or no simulation of outdoor rock climbing activity. Another type of children""s climbing wall has an inclined climbing surface that has a rock-like texture. A child negotiates this type of climbing wall by grasping various projections that extend up from the inclined surface. This type of climbing wall is usually expensive to manufacture because of the large size and complex geometry of the wall.
One of the problems associated with known imitation climbing rocks is that they generally provide an inadequate number and/or type of hand/foot holds for children. A child negotiating a climbing wall that includes conventional imitation climbing rocks may have trouble finding an effective hand/foot hold. As an example, if the climbing rock illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is mounted upside down on the climbing wall, there is practically, at least for children, no available hand/foot hold on the climbing rock.
American Outdoor Products manfactures products referred to as xe2x80x9cWoodplayxe2x80x9d. The Woodplay line of products relates to multi-colored letter and number climbing devices which are attached to a wall. The child ascends the wall by placing hands and feet onto the side walls of the letter and number climbing devices. The disclosed letter and number climbing devices include side walls that extend perpendicularly outward from the walls such that there is no grip other than the side wall itself. The letter and number climbing devices suffer from the same problem as the rest of the prior art climbing devices (i.e., a child negotiating a climbing wall that includes the disclosed climbing devices may have trouble finding an effective hand/foot hold).
Kompany, Inc. manufactures a line of products referred to as xe2x80x9cKompany Early Childhood Additionxe2x80x9d. This line of products includes slightly U-shaped climbing devices that are mounted to an inclined wall. Similar to the Woodplay devices and the rest of the prior art, the Kompany climbing devices do not include an endless grip that extends outwardly from the entire circumference of a side wall on the climbing device. The side walls of the Kompany climbing devices merely extend perpendicularly outward from the mounting wall thereby requiring children that are climbing on the wall to place their hands/feet onto the side walls of the climbing devices instead of providing a grip. Therefore, the Kompany climbing devices fail to provide a handhold for a child when the child seeks to grasp the climbing rock from every possible angle as the child maneuvers around on a wall filled with the climbing devices.
Another problem associated with the climbing rock illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is that it has a tendency to loosen as it is used by climbers. Depending on how a climber grasps the imitation climbing rock, the climber may generate a torque on the rock which could unscrew (i.e., loosen) the rock from the climbing wall.
Accordingly, the invention provides an imitation climbing rock that allows children to simulate rock climbing activity. The climbing rock is adapted to be attached to a wall to simulate a natural rock structure. The climbing rock includes a mounting surface, a body (e.g., a continuous side wall) and an endless grip that extends outwardly from the entire circumference of the body. The endless grip provides a hand/foot hold for children seeking to grasp the climbing rock as they attempt to negotiate a wall that includes several of the climbing rocks. The endless grip provides a hand/foot hold regardless of a climbing childs position relative to the climbing rock and no matter how the climbing rock is mounted to the climbing wall. The body, or side wall, of the climbing rock preferably includes a mounting portion that forms an edge with the mounting surface and a gripping portion where the endless grip extends outwardly from the gripping portion.
In one form, the mounting surface has an irregular shape and includes a void in the mounting surface that defines an inner surface on the sidewall.
In another form, the climbing rock includes a plurality of openings that are adapted to receive a plurality of fasteners. The fasteners secure the climbing rock to the climbing wall in such a way as to eliminate the possibility of inadvertently unscrewing the climbing rock from the wall during climbing.
A principal advantage of the invention is to provide a climbing rock that mounts to a climbing wall and includes hand/foot holds that allow children to grasp the climbing rock from any position on the climbing wall regardless of the orientation of the climbing rock on the climbing wall.
Another advantage of the invention is to provide a climbing rock that does not have a tendency to unscrew from a wall when a torque is applied to the climbing rock by a climber during climbing activity.
Other features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following drawings and claims.